Abandon

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Actual rating : 4.5/5 stars.

My Opinion : This is the fifth book I read by Meg Cabot, and I can truly say that she is a great author. This book is actually, from my point of view, the best from Cabot.

The writing was really slow, and the details were overwhelming. Also, there were a lot of flashbacks, but I like those two things.

Pierce was actually a really nice character. She cared about other people, and she was selfless. John was... wild. At first I thought he hated Pierce, but no... he loved her.

I was glad to learn that this book will be a trilogy. I can't wait to read the next ones.

4.5/5 stars ( )

Not a bad story, but the pacing was just a little too choppy and I wasn't grabbed by the protagonist's voice. ( )

Le Crack Cabot strikes again! Damn you and your engaging series! Making me wait for #2! Devious.
I could nitpick the little things that bugged me about this but then it would be the same itch I always have to scratch when it comes to Cabot. The plot could have been stretched out, especially at the end. Yeah, I know it's a series but still, too much action too late in the game. But it's a retelling of Persephone myth and Cabot does the impossible of making her Hades character not all creepy Edward Cullen.
I can't quit you. ( )

I really wanted to love this book. I adore Meg Cabot. Fantasy is currently one of my favorite genres. Cabot's Mediator series is one of my all-time favorites, and her Twlight (last book in that series) beats the "other" Twilight any day of the week, in my opinion. However, the first book in her new series, Abandon, just didn't quite do it for me.

For the most part, it was the main character, Pierce. I really didn't like her for most of the book. She was quick to judge, never knew when to keep her mouth shut, and just was generally all-around self-absorbed and unlikeable. It is a complete mystery to me how John ever fell in love with her in the first place, let alone stayed that way. And her switch from never wanting to see him again to total blissed-out in love with him? Where did that even come from?

I'm hoping she'll calm down, cut the drama, and be more likeable in the next two books. I'll keep reading the series, but it will be more for Meg and John than for Pierce. Quite frankly, I was almost wishing he'd left her to the furies toward the end there. My favorite part was when he just calmly read his book while she threw her major hissy fit...I was totally with him on that one. Get over it, chickie. ( )

I've read my fair share of Meg Cabot books. I whipped through 'The Mediator' and '1-800-Where-R-You' series and count 'Avalon High' (the first book, not the manga) as one of my favorites. 'Abandon', Cabot's most recent YA foray, is the first in a trilogy about Piece, a girl who's had too many near death experiences for 17 years and John, the handsome, slightly off balance death deity who she always bumps into at the best and worst of times.

I'd be lying if I said that this book lived up to the hype. It didn't. However, it is a promising beginning to what could be a fun, unique trilogy.

Cabot takes on a different sort of timeline in 'Abandon' than her normal, straight forward approach. 'Abandon' has a very jumpy timeline. The Doctor (the most entertaining time traveler on the BBC) would best describe it at 'timey whimy'. Cabot starts the story in the middle and goes back and forth between past and present. It's a very different style from other Cabot books. In all honesty, I would have preferred a little less time jumping in this novel, but as this is the first in a trilogy, I can forgive this a bit. Not unlike Cabot, her trademark wit is still infused in the writing of 'Abandon'.


Because 'Abandon' is part of a series, most of this novel is focused on setting up the town, characters, and relationships. We don't get to see as much of many of the characters as I would have liked, including main male John, but main female lead Pierce is fleshed out well. She's a strange character with an interesting way of thinking that I like. John, death deity, is still a bit of a mystery to me. We see him in and out of the novel, but I am hoping we learn more about him in the sequels. He has a few 'hot male lead' moments that are done well and more to come, I'm sure!


For romance readers, 'Abandon' has some slight romance, but it doesn't overtake from the main plot of learning more about who and what Pierce is. I expect we'll be seeing more in the sequels, though.


Even though I'm not a huge fan of the back and forth storytelling, 'Abandon' is a promising beginning to what could be an entertaining YA supernatural romance. 'Abandon' gets 3 out of 5 stars.
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